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Wiltshire Assembly
The National Assembly of Wiltshire '''is the legislative body of the Fourth Wiltshire Republic, being re-established in 3020 following Wiltshire's independence from the New Corporate Republic. The Assembly is elected based on an open Party List, with seats being given in proportion to the party's popular vote totals. There are a total of 60 seats in the National Assembly. The last election, and the first since it's re-establishment, was held on February 8, 3020. Composition and powers The National Assembly is a unicameral body, meaning there is only one operating chamber. This was a deliberate decision by President Gaius Selan following independence, in an attempt to restore political stability - over potential divisions that two houses may bring. The return to the Assembly, over the Wiltshire Parliament (which was established to govern the Third Wiltshire Republic), was made following independence to allow for the creation of a Semi-Presidential Republic. This new system allows for greater stability, while also allowing for greater democracy. The Assembly meets in Assembly Hall, at the centre of the Enterprise Complex in Juneville. The sittings of the Assembly are to be as follows; * February 10, 3020 - March 1, 3020 (first session) * March 7, 3020 - May 25, 3020 (second session) * June 1, 3020 - July 25, 3020 (third, and final session) * August 8, 3020 - next election Emergency sessions can be called by the President of Wiltshire during times of recess. '''Powers and responsibilities The Government of Wiltshire operates out of the National Assembly and so must command the confidence of the Assembly. Despite being appointed by the President, the Prime Minister of Wiltshire must pass a confidence vote in the Assembly before being able to take office. This is the Assembly's first responsibility. The second, and most obvious, responsibility is that of legislative control. All laws must be passed by the National Assembly. The President does hold a veto, but any law must receive the approval of the Assembly before the President's signature. In addition, the Assembly must craft the national budget, with the President's signature, and retains the power to declare war. Members of the Assembly are also empowered to scrutinise the government; Members can call government ministers to testify and ministers have a legal obligation to respond, in some way, to the questions posed by members. The Prime Minister, being a member of the Assembly, must attend to these questions in person, while ministers may respond in person or either via other communication. Another power the Assembly holds is impeachment. The Assembly has the authority to impeach and remove the President of the Republic. To have this occur, 66.6% of the Assembly must vote on an impeachment resolution, following a trail being conducted by the courts, chaired by the most senior independent judge in the country. State Opening The President of Wiltshire is responsible for the State Opening of the Assembly, at which point he gives a speech to the members. In that speech he lays out the Government's legislative priorities for the coming term and his own ambitions for the Assembly. The State Opening takes place at the start of every Assembly term. Current composition Below is a summary of the current composition of the National Assembly (as of February 10, 3020); * Liberal Conservative Group (21 seats) * Socialist Group (17 seats) * Conservative Group (8 seats) * Labour Group (7 seats) * Progress Group (4 seats) * Corporate Group (3 seats) Government and history The current Government is led by Prime Minister Audrick Hill, who leads the Third Hill Ministry. This is the 25th Government of Wiltshire; here is the history of them.